Dear Aeris
by Bex-of-Midgar
Summary: 4 years after the death of Aeris Gainborough, the Strife family take their annual trip to the city of the ancients to visit her final resting place. Everyone writes letters for her, but Marlene is having trouble thinking of what she could say.


**Author's note: This is what happens when you watch Aeris die in the game; tears, 'Stupid Sephiroth!', 'Why?' and 'Ooh! Imagine if Marlene wrote a letter to Aeris sometime after her death?' I'm not really sure whether I like this one or not - it just seems boring to me - but it was a good change of pace from my usual nightmare-based stories or ones with crazy characters. Well, I hope you enjoy it anyway :)**

**Thanks for taking the time to read this story and I'd really appreciate it if you'd review it.**

**From Bex ^_^**

"Have you finished your letter yet, Marlene?" The black haired woman asked the little girl who was sitting on the other side of the bar, a sheet of paper in front of her and a pencil tapping against the counter as she thought.

"Not yet." Marlene replied to her friend, still deep in thought. "I dont know what to put."

It had been 4 years since the flower girl - someone very close to Marlene and her family - had been killed by the monsterous man who wanted to destroy the planet. Sephiroth. She had helped her planet fight off Meteor even though she had returned to the lifestream. Every year since the flower girl's death, everyone went to the city of the ancients - the flower girl's final resting place - with letters and flowers to give thanks to her and all she did, but this year Marlene was struggling for words. She had said all she wanted to in the years before, what more could there possibly be to write?

The woman held out her hand for the piece of paper. "May I take a look?"

"Ok, Tifa." Marlene mumbled, handing the bartender her piece of paper.

_Dear Aeris._

Tifa sighed upon looking at the letter, consisting of only two words so far. "How about we take a trip to the church." She suggested, handing the paper back to Marlene. "You might be able to think better there."

Marlene nodded and hopped off the stool - taking a moment to re-adjust her bow - and headed towards the door with Tifa following closely behind.

It did not take long for the two to get to the abandoned church where their friend used to look after the flowers and Marlene sat down in front of a pillar, leaning against it and thinking once more as Tifa walked around, reliving the memories.

Marlene thought about the memories too - how Aeris had taken the little girl to the safety of her home in sector 5, how she had helped through the lifestream when the geostigma disease spread. Those were the only real memories Marlene had of the flower girl, but she had so much more from the stories her parental gaurdians, Tifa and Cloud, had told her. She had healed them all whenever they became injured, practically saving their lives with her magic when they came too close to death. She had talked to the planet and tried to get some answers to help AVALANCHE stop Sephiroth and, most importantly, she had been a good friend to them all.

The flood of memories helped Marlene decide what to write and her hand flew across the page. "Done!" She announced as she stood up, a smile spreading across her face.

Tifa walked over and looked at the letter for a moment. It warmed her heart and almost brought her to tears, though she refused to let any escape her eyes. "That's really good." The motherly figure told Marlene, handing the letter back to the little girl beside her. "Now lets go home and wait for Cloud to pick us up."

"Uh huh!" Marlene replied enthusiastically and they walked back to the 7th Heaven bar together.

About an hour later, after Cloud had returned home and picked them up, Cloud, Tifa, Marlene and Denzel - Cloud's adopted son - stood at the lake in the city of the ancients. Cloud was the first to lay down flowers and a letter, his usually stoic expression showing signs that he was on the verge of crying. He was then followed by Tifa, her burgundy eyes tear stained as she gazed at the lake were Aeris was laid to rest. She carefully placed down her flowers and whispered an almost inaudiable "Thank you.". Denzel did not seem as affected by the event for he did not know the flower girl at all, but he still laid down flowers, knowing that she had something to do with curing the geostigma which he had suffered from for a whole two years. He was joined by Marlene who lay down the flowers and her letter. Marlene's tears began to fall and Tifa rushed over to embrace her comfortingly, allowing a few tears of her own to escape once more. As the two shared a hug, Cloud took the moment to peer down at Marlene's letter. A small smile lifted up the corners of his mouth as he read it.

_Dear Aeris._

_Thank you for everything._

_I only knew you for a little while, but you did so many wonderful things for me and my family. You kept us all alive and you've kept us together._

_I'm sorry you didn't get to live, we could have become really good friends, but I know that you are always looking out for us._

_We'll never ever forget you._

_From Marlene._


End file.
